1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to animal traps, and more particularly to traps for gopher and other rodent animals, which are used in the burrows or runways tunneled through the ground by such animals.
2. Prior Art
Conventional animal traps are all of basically similar design in that they all possess some means for impaling or capturing an animal usually between a pair of jaws or piercing members which are moved from an open to a closed position usually by some powerful spring force, upon release of a trigger mechanism which is activated by the animal. Usually the trigger mechanism is disposed in the center of the jaws so that when an animal steps onto the release mechanism the jaws close about the leg or body of the animal so as to capture it.
In the case of traps particularly useful in the capture of gophers and other rodent like animals, however, many of these conventional types of traps have proved to be unsuccessful in that when they are activated by such an animal who steps its foot onto the central release mechanism, the animal is often fast enough or by instinctive reflex, jumps away from the trap prior to its closing. In addition, since gophers and similar animals are small compared to other long-legged animals for which such conventional traps are used, traps are usually designed to catch the body of the animal as opposed to its legs. With central release members disposed between the jaws the animal is only partially exposed to the trap when his forefeet or hindfeet, depending upon which way the animal is moving through the tunnel in which the trap is disposed, activate the release and thus the animal is already half way out of the trap when he jumps thus reducing the possibility of his capture by the closing jaws.